Sheet container and dispenser



Sept.v 15, 1959 H. G. MILLER 2,904,214

SHEET CONTAINER AND DISPENSER Filed Feb. '7, 1956 2 sheets-sheet 1 0, Y.E M'. MII/1171117111'11111111111111111111 Q :Ern Zar Hobart MillerSept. l5, 1959 IH. G. MILLER 2,904,214

SHEET CONTAINER AND DISPENSER Filed Feb. 7, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2@Hobart Gla/Miller United States Patent 2,904,214 SHEET CONTAINER ANDDISPENSER Hobart Gross Miller, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 7, 1956, Serial No. 563,939

2 claims. (ci. 221-43) The invention relates to improvements indispensers for light sensitized sheets and is more particularlyconcerned with a device adapted to contain a stack of light sensitizedsheets and to dispense the sheets therefrom one at a time through ad-ischarge opening therein, the dispenser having novel means therein toprevent the entrance `of light into the container through said opening.

The device includes a housing composed of two substantially like halvesconstituting a bottom container portion and a cover portion hingedlyconnected so as to be ymov-able into open and closed position. Means iscarried therein for automatic dispensing of one sheet at a time from astack of sheets arranged in the housing through a dispensing opening orslot normally closed by a loosely guided slidable and rotatable lightseal member that also functions as a guide means for the leading edge ofthe sheet -being dispensed so as to avoid scratching of the same andinsure proper operation of the device even though the sheet may have atendency to curl slightly.

Itis, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a novellyconstructed container and dispenser for light sensitized sheets.

Another object is to provide a dispenser for light sensitized sheetswith novel means to prevent the entrance of light into the dispenserinterior.

Another object is to provide a sheet dispenser with novel means to guidea sheet to be dispensed into and through a dispensing opening.

Another object is to provide a device of the character referred to withnovel means operable to dispense sheets one at a time automatically.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser for sheetswhich is not expensive to construct and is very ecient in operation.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described withnovel means to align sheets of any size, within the limits of thedevice, in a stack.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel featuresof construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structuremay be made Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating anunderstanding of my invention, I haveillustrated in the accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment thereof,from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with thefollowing description, my invention, its mode of construction, assemblyand operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understoodand appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference areemployed to indicate corresponding or Patented Sept. 15, 1959 similarparts throughout the several gures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the sheet container and dispenserembodying the present invention.

Fig. 2. is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken `substantiallyon line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts inpositions occupied at the completion of a dispensing operation.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional vieW illustrating thefeeding of a sheet through the dispensing opening.

Fig. 5 is a view looking at the inside of Ithe cover portion of thedevice.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the bottom portion of the device.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the containerdispenser includesa flat substantially rectangular boxlike housing 11 formed from -twosubstantially like halves 12 and 13 hingedly connected together, as at14, so as to be moved from the closed position, illustrated in Fig. 2,into an open position to permit the placing of a stack of sheets 15therein. The sheets are light sensitized sheets of paper used inphotographic processes. As shown the bottom housing portion or container13 includes a bottom wall 16, end walls 17 and 18 and connecting sidewalls 19. The bottom wall 16 is inclined upwardly, as at 21, so as tomerge into a substantially horizontal surface area or ledge 22contiguous with the top edge of the end wall 17. The stack of sheets 15is arranged on the bottom wall 16 rearwardly of the inclined portion 21and in order to maintain the lsheets in the stack in substantialalignment there is provided a removable backing strip' 23 which extendstransversely of the bottom portion 13. This strip has at least tworearwardly extending braces 24, the free ends of which are abuttedagainst the inside surface of the end wall 18. The backing strip 23 withits braces 24 `is removable so that another backing strip having bracesof different lengths may be inserted in the bottom portion 13 whensheets of a size other than as illustrated are placed therein, thusadapting the container dispenser for use in dispensing sheets ofdifferent '.sizes within the overall capacity of the housing.

The top housing portion or cover 12 has a top wall 25, depending endwalls 26 and 27 and depending connecting side walls 28. When the topportion 12 is in closed position with respect to the bottom portion 13,the side and end walls of the two portions are in edge to edgealignment. Outwardly offset flanges 29 on the side walls 28 overlap theupper margins of the bottom side walls 19 so as to prevent the entranceof light through the joining of the two walls. The joining of the twoend Walls 18 and 27 is effectively light sealed by the presence of thehinge 14. The other end wall 26 on the top portion has a shallow recess31 on its free edge substantially coextensive with its length. Thisrecess 31 provides an elongated dispensing opening in conjunction withthe flat surface or ledge 22 on the bottom portion through which thesheets 15 are to be ejected one at a time.

Novel means is provided for the automatic ejection of the sheets 15 oneat a time. As is perhaps best illustrated in Fig. 5, this means includesan elongated guide plate 32 which is rrnly secured to the inside face ofthe top wall 25. The guide plate 32 includes parallel longitudinalilanges 33 along which are guided the longitudinal margins of a slideplate 34. The slide plate 34 has depending from it, adjacent to one ofits ends, a pair of ears 35 apertured to receive a pin 36 for pivotallymounting one end of an arm 37. The free end of the arm 37 is bifurcated,as at 38, and has journalled therein a friction element 39 whichpreferably is in the form of a circular member serrated on its entirecircumference, This member is mounted substantially firmly in the arm 37so as not to be freely rotatable, it being manually rotatable whenrequired so as to present a new surface when worn. A coiled tensionspring 41, carried on the pivot pin 36, normally urges the arm 37downwardly away from the slide plate 34- so as to cause the frictionmember 39 to bear at all times on the top sheet of the stack of sheets15. The slide plate 34 normally rests in the position illustrated inFigs. 2 and 5 and, when said plate is shifted in the direction of thedischarge `opening 3l, into the position shown in Fig. 3, the top sheetin the stack 15 is carried therewith and the leading edge of said sheetis projected through the discharge opening 31 suciently to permit it tobe grasped for manual withdrawal.

The means for actuating the slide plate 34 includes a motor or solenoid42 suitably mounted in a bracket 43 secured to the inside face of thehousing top wall 25. The solenoid receives its energy from any suitablesource of electric current through wires 44 having connected therein aContact switch 45 which has its operating stem 45 projecting through thetop wall 25 for ready access. The solenoid 42 has an elongated core 47connected at its projecting end by a pin 4S to a lever arm 49. The leverarm 49 is pivoted at one end on a fixed pivot 51 and its free end ispivotally connected, by a pin 52, to the slide plate 34. When thesolenoid is energized upon closing of the switch 45, the slide plate 34is shifted into the position as illustrated in Fig. 3 so as to partiallyeject a sheet. When the solenoid is deenergized, a spring 53 operates toreturn the slide plate 34 to its initial position and, owing to theyicldable mounting of the arm 37 carrying the friction member 34, saidfriction member slides freely over the projected sheet withoutretracting the same.

ln order to prevent light from entering through the discharge opening 31and damaging the light sensitized sheets in the stack, said opening isprovided with a light seal 54. As is perhaps best illustrated in Figs. 4and 5 the light seal 54 consists of rod or elongated roller arranged insurface contact with the inside face of the wall 26 of the top portion12. Said rod or roller is adapted normally to rest upon the ledge 22 ofthe bottom portion 13 to thereby close the discharge opening 31. When asheet is ejected it passes beneath and elevates the rod 54 as it slidesalong the ledge 22. Elevation of the rod 54 is permitted by mounting itin a plurality of vertical guideways 55 in the top portion 12. Theseguideways are dened on one side by the wall 26 and on their other sideby the vertical edges 56 of downwardly extending webs or ribs 57 formedintegral with the top wall 25 and depending therefrom. The lowerextremities of the edges 56 of said ribs are offset outwardly slightly,as at 58, so as to reduce the overall width of the guideways 55 at theirends and thereby retain the rod 54 therein when the top portion 12 israised into an open position. The trailing edge 59 of each of the websor ribs 57 is suitably curved upwardly, as is best illustrated in Fig.4, so as to provide a cam surface to deflect downwardly the free 55, theleading edge of the sheet will enter beneath said rod with a minimumamount of resistance irrespective of the precise condition of itsleading edge.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly,and many of its advantages should be readily understood from theforegoing without further description, and it should also be manifestthat while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed for illustrative purposes, the structural details arenevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of myinvention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

1. A paper safe device for containing and dispensing photo-sensitivesheets, said device comprising a substantially enclosed container havingan approximately vertical wall, said wall having an elongatedhorizontally extending discharge opening therethrough, said openinghaving upper and lower edges, a support ledge extending horizontally andsubstantially coextensively with the lower edge of said dischargeopening, an elongated cylindrical light-seal element extendinghorizontally adjacent said discharge opening, said element normallyresting upon said ledge and contacting the interior surface of said wallto seal the opening against the admission of light therethrough, meansmounting said element for free rotatable movement about its longitudinalaxis and for free vertical movement upwardly fro-m said ledge, saidmounting means including means for maintaining said element in contactwith said interior surface of said wall during vertical movement of saidelement, means within the container for holding a stack ofphoto-sensitive sheets, and means for advancing each of said sheetssuccessively to thrust the leading edge of each sheet against saidelement to raise the latter to permit the sheet to pass through saiddischarge opening while the element is maintained in light sealingcontact with both said sheet and said interior surface of said wall,said mounting means comprising a plurality of horizontally spacedmembers tixedly secured within the interior of said container, each ofsaid members having an approximately vertical edge extendingsubstantially parallel to said vertical slideway therebetween, saidelement having a plurality of spaced portions each rotatably andslidably mounted within a respective one of the slideways.

2. A paper safe device as recited in claim 1 wherein each of saidmembers is provided with a stationary cam edge for contacting andguiding the leading edge of each successively propelled sheet so as todirect the leading edge of each sheet between said element and saidledge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 19,252Lewis et al. Feb. 2, 1858 523,384 Tirrell et al. July 24, 1894 536,627Housh Apr. 2, 1895 1,016,779 Ruppel Feb. 6, 1912 1,257,153 Turney Feb.19, 1918 1,495,874 Bartlett May 27, 1924 2,182,955 Allen Dec. 12, 19392,572,121 Dosberg Oct. 23, 1951 2,594,634 Galloway Apr. 29, 1952 FOREIGNPATENTS 836,707 France Oct. 25, 1938 978,387 France Nov. 22,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEJ OEETIEIOATE OE CORRECTION 'Patent No.,2,9%,214 l September 15, 1959 'obart Gross Miller It is hereby certifiedthat error appears in the printed specification of the above numberedpatent requiring correct-ion and that the said Letters Patent shouldreadas corrected below.

Golumn 4, line 43, beforev1 "slideway" insert u end Wall and spaced fomthe latter so as to define a vertical nu.,

Signed and sealed this 24th dey of May 1960.,

(SEAL) Attest: e

KARL AXLNE RBERT C. WATSON Attesting Ofcer Commissioner of Patents

